Thursday, February 11, 2010

Senate Votes NO on Becker's NLRB Appointment

Labor lawyer Craig Becker's nomination for a seat on the National Labor Relations Board failed on Tuesday afternoon, as a few Senate Democrats joined a unified Republican front to block a key Obama White House nomination.

The vote was 52-33 — 60 votes were required to proceed on the nomination. The stalled nomination is a blow to labor unions and showed fractures in the Senate Democratic Caucus, which can no longer rely on a 60-vote supermajority.

Fifteen senators missed the vote when it became clear that Becker would fall well short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster.

Knowing that the labor unions would not have another voice for the Democrats on the NLRB, Labors own "talking tool" and do-nothing Senator from OH -- Sen. Sherrod Brown -- stomped his feet in disgust that they couldn't have their way....

"I'm frustrated. I'm unhappy with it," said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). "I hear them on the floor saying we shouldn't rush this. It's been 10 months. The Senate Republicans are the only people in the United States of America who think it should take more than 10 months to give us the option to vote up or down on a nominee who is clearly qualified."

Even though Nelson & Lincoln voted against Becker and 15 Senators did not show up, Brown is still happy to blame the Republicans for Becker's failure to get confirmed.

I am at a loss for why Sherrod is upset.... the 15 Senators that walked away from this vote are no different than Senator Brown walking awayfrom one of his constituents.